1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for advertising. In particular, some implementations of the present invention relate to systems and methods for using one or more mobile devices to provide promotional materials to one or more customers, based (at least partially) on the geographic location of such mobile devices.
2. Background and Related Art
In an effort to encourage or otherwise persuade people to buy certain goods or services, or to otherwise take or continue to take some desired action, merchants, service providers, and advertisers regularly send advertisements to potential consumers through such consumers' cell phones and smart phones. While these advertisements can be sent through a variety of methods and in a variety of different formats, in some cases, such advertisements are sent as text messages, e-mails, pop-up ads, pop-under ads, display advertisements, and through a variety of other methods.
Although many methods that are used to advertise to consumers through cell phones and smart phones can be relatively effective for promoting a particular product or service, or to otherwise persuade potential consumers to take a desired action, such methods of advertising are not necessarily without their shortcomings. For example, some methods for advertising via text messaging, spam e-mails, pop-up ads, etc. can actual annoy or repulse a potential consumer, thus deterring the customer from taking the desired action promoted by the advertisement. Moreover, in some cases in which a potential consumer receives a relatively large amount of advertising that is not relevant to (or invited by) the potential consumer, the consumer ignores such advertisements, and can even miss relevant advertisements that the consumer would have wanted to see. In another example, some advertising methods tailor advertisements to particular consumers, based on such consumers' biographical information (e.g., sex, age, race, income level, etc.). In this example, some consumers may feel uncomfortable in knowingly providing such information for advertisement purposes. As a result, some potential consumers may choose to provide inaccurate or misleading biographical information about themselves, which can lead to advertising that is less relevant to the consumer than it could be if such advertising were based on the consumer's accurate biographical information.
Thus, while techniques currently exist that are used to advertise to potential consumers via such consumers' cell phones and smart phones, challenges still exist, including those discussed above. Accordingly, it would be an improvement in the art to augment or even replace current techniques with other techniques.